Fantasy

Review – Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

~ Erika K ~ 4 Comments

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

“I have loved you all my life, Mal,” I whispered through my tears. “There is no end to our story.” -Siege and Storm

Siege and Storm (The Grisha, #2)Description from Goodreads:

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

The Grisha, #2

Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy
Rating: **** (4 of 5 stars)

This is book #2 in the Grisha series, and now that I’ve finished, I can’t wait to pick up Ruin and Rising to see how it all ends. This continuation of the story started in Shadow and Bone has Alina running from the Darkling, the Apparat, and at times even trying to run from her own power and the person she is becoming.

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Book Review – The Mine by John A. Heldt

~ Erika K ~ 1 Comment

The Mine by John A. Heldt

The Mine (Northwest Passage #1)Description from Goodreads:

In May 2000, Joel Smith is a cocky, adventurous young man who sees the world as his playground. But when the college senior, days from graduation, enters an abandoned Montana mine, he discovers the price of reckless curiosity. He emerges in May 1941 with a cell phone he can’t use, money he can’t spend, and little but his wits to guide his way. Stuck in the age of swing dancing and a peacetime draft, Joel begins a new life as the nation drifts toward war. With the help of his 21-year-old trailblazing grandmother and her friends, he finds his place in a world he knew only from movies and books. But when an opportunity comes to return to the present, Joel must decide whether to leave his new love in the past or choose a course that will alter their lives forever. THE MINE follows a humbled man through a critical time in history as he adjusts to new surroundings and wrestles with the knowledge of things to come.

Northwest Passage #1

Genre: Fantasy / Time Travel / Historical Fiction
Rating: *** (3 of 5 stars)

The Mine is a story about a young man’s accidental journey from the year 2000 into the past, just prior to WW2. Joel Smith and his friend Alan take a detour during a road trip, and discover an abandoned mine. A determined Joel decides to investigate, leaving his friend, and his timeline, behind him. Arriving in 1941, he eventually befriends a young man named Tom, and joins Tom’s circle of friends and family.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about Joel near the beginning of the book, when he first arrived in the past. He seemed to take almost everything in stride, with no strong emotion struggle, and no real refusal to believe what was happening. I had a hard time accepting that, but it could be because I don’t think that it is how I would have reacted in his situation! 🙂

The author did a great job of making you feel that you were there in pre-war 1941, however. As I was introduced to Tom and his friends, I became more and more invested in Joel’s situation, and in his developing romance. I felt that he did mature somewhat as the story went on, and he realized what harm his advanced knowledge of the war and of Tom’s future could wreak. As close as he had grown to his new comrades, he really struggled with the decision to stay or go once the opportunity to return to his own time finally arose.

All in all, I enjoyed this story. While it may have been a little slow to start, it developed into a sweet story of friendship and true love. Fans of time-travel romance should like this one, and the next 4 books in this series!

**Disclaimer – I received a free copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review**

About the Author:
John A. HeldtJohn A. Heldt is the author of the critically acclaimed Northwest Passage and American Journey series. The former reference librarian and award-winning sportswriter has loved getting subjects and verbs to agree since writing book reports on baseball heroes in grade school. A graduate of the University of Oregon and the University of Iowa, Heldt is an avid fisherman, sports fan, home brewer, and reader of thrillers and historical fiction. When not sending contemporary characters to the not-so-distant past, he weighs in on literature and life at johnheldt.blogspot.com.

Connect with John online:
Blog: http://johnheldt.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnaheldt
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/John-A.-Heldt/e/B007A23EQS
Indie View: http://www.theindieview.com/indie-authors/john-a-heldt/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5754231.John_A_Heldt
Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/authors/a1002681160/John-A-Heldt/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnheldt

Review – Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

~ Erika K ~ 7 Comments

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Shadow and Bone (The Grisha, #1)Description from Goodreads:

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

The Grisha Series, #1

Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: **** (4 of 5 stars)

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Audiobook Review – An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

~ Erika K ~ 9 Comments

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (audio CD edition)
An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes, #1)
Narrated by Fiona Hardingham and Steve West

Genre: YA / Fantasy
My Rating: ***** (5 of 5 stars)

I had been listening to this audiobook for about a week during my commute to and from work, and when it ended on my way home, I couldn’t believe it. It couldn’t end there. It just couldn’t. I wasn’t ready. I wanted to know, no, needed to know what happened next! While not a cliff-hanger, there are so many things left unresolved at the end of this story, so many things left to be done, that I really hope Ms. Tahir has at least another 2 or 3 books up her sleeve. (NOTE: Since writing this review I have scoured her Goodreads page and found that yes, book #2 is in the works. I can breathe a little easier now…)

An Ember in the Ashes is the story of Laia, a Scholar girl, and Elias, a soldier in training for the Empire’s army. The Scholars are the lowest class citizens in the Empire, and many of Laia’s people have been killed or enslaved. Her own parents and older sister were killed for being rebels. Elias is just finishing his training as a Mask, one of the Empire’s elite soldiers. When Laia’s remaining family is raided one night, she goes undercover as a slave at the military academy to try to gain information she can trade to the Scholar resistance, so that they will help her find and free her brother who was captured during the raid.

There was a bit of a love triangle, which I usually hate, but each individual seemed so real, each with his own flaws and redeeming qualities, that it was easy to understand Laia’s feelings. And I loved Laia herself. She was no super-woman, just a frightened girl determined to do whatever she had to in order to save the only family she had left. She was scared, she second guessed herself, but she never gave up. I admired her determination, and it’s been a long time since I read a book that made me care so much about what happened to its characters.

I have to mention the narrators as well. I thought both of them did a great job, and having both a male and female narrator helped distinguish the point of view for each chapter. I hope they  will be available to read again when the next book in this series is ready!

If you enjoy Young Adult Fantasy, then I can’t recommend this book enough. I will be buying a copy of book number two just as soon as it is available!

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Review – Wishing Cross Station by February Grace

~ Erika K ~ 2 Comments

Wishing Cross Station by February Grace
Wishing Cross Station

Genre: Fantasy / Romance
My Rating: *** (3 of 5 stars)

***NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

Library page Keigan Wainwright is sent to pick up a donation of books for his school’s collection, and gets a little more than he bargained for. Among the books is a hand-bound leather volume that the donor asks him to hold onto until he can learn more about it. What he discovers about the book is hard to believe, but with it tucked safely in his backpack, Keigan finds himself at Wishing Cross Station in the middle of the night waiting for a train to take him back in time.

What follows is a story of star-crossed lovers, Keigan from 2015, and Marigold from 1880. By reading the book that turns out to be a station master’s journal, Keigan learns that if he tries to return to his time with Marigold in tow, she will die on the train. If he stays, he may just disappear.

At only 153 pages, it is a quick read, but I found myself completely drawn into the past as I read it. The book is described as a bittersweet love story, and that’s exactly what you will get. If that’s something you would enjoy, then definitely give Wishing Cross Station a try.

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Audiobook Review – The Silver Witch by Paula Brackston

~ Erika K ~ 4 Comments

The Silver Witch by Paula Brackston
The Silver Witch
Macmillan Audio CD Audiobook
Narrated by Marisa Calin

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy
My Rating: ***** (5 of 5 stars)

I have had several Paula Brackston novels on my Goodreads Want to Read shelf for a while now, but this is the first one I got around to reading / listening to. I loved it, and I can’t wait to start another one! This is also a book I’m glad I picked up the audio version of instead of trying to read it. The narrator has a beautiful Welsh accent, and thankfully knows how to pronounce the Welsh names and place-names that I would have butchered inside of my head had I read it in print.

The novel is told in both the present and in ancient Celtic times, both storylines taking place in the same locale.  In present day Wales, following the death of her husband, Tilda moves into the house that she and Matt had purchased to start their new life in together. After spending some time alone in her cottage, Tilda starts to experience strange things, and finds a new sort of power developing inside her. In ancient times, we hear the story of Seren, a shaman and seer to a Celtic Prince who lived on a man-made island in the middle of the lake near Tilda’s cottage.

Each story on its own is intriguing. We know early on that there is a connection between the two women, but it takes longer for Tilda to realize why she feels such an affinity for the lake and the area around her new home. By the time she does, her life and the life of her new love may be in more danger than she can handle.

This book has a little bit of everything. Historical fiction, fantasy, suspense, and a touch of romance. I highly recommend this one if you are a fan of any of those genres.

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Review – Eden at the Edge of Midnight by John Kerry

~ Erika K ~ 1 Comment

Eden at the Edge of Midnight by John Kerry
Eden at the Edge of Midnight

The Vara Volumes Book 1

***NOTE: I received a free copy of this book from StoryCartel in exchange for an honest review***

Genre: YA / Fantasy
My Rating **** (4 of 5 stars)

Synopsis from Goodreads:
The Vara of Yima, the original Garden of Eden, sealed from the rest of the world and populated with the fittest of men and women. A secret paradise that 150 years ago became ravaged by smog that choked out the skies.

Now the Vara exists in a permanent state of darkness and its people need a champion, a chosen one to save them from the smog that threatens to fill the realm…(read more)

Finally finished – I didn’t want one more What-Are-You-Reading-Wednesday post featuring the same book! 🙂

This was a well-written fantasy with well defined and realistic characters. That always makes it so much easier to be concerned for their well-being, and I did care what happened to Sammy and her companions. Sammy is an average human teenage girl who finds herself alone on a strange world, trying to survive and find her way home. Along with her new-found companions Mehrak, and his dinosaur/house Louis, Sammy has to escape the crabmen, figure out whether or not she might be the golden haired child of prophecy, decide which of those claiming to be trying to help her are actually on her side, and find the book that might show her the way to get back home to Earth.

I started to panic about 20 pages from the end because I knew there was not enough time for everything that I wanted to happen, to happen! Thankfully book 2 is on the way, but now I have to wait until October to read Back to the Vara.

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What are you reading Wednesdays – 5/20/15

~ Erika K ~ 2 Comments

What are you reading Wednesday – 5/20/15

whatareyoureadingwed

What Are You Reading Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Its A Reading Thing. To participate, pull out your current book and answer these questions. If you have a blog, feel free to leave a link to your post so others can visit. If you don’t have a blog, you can leave your answers in the comments below.

The Questions are:
1. What’s the name of your current read?

2. Go to page 34 in your book or 34% in your eBook and share one complete sentence.

3. Would you like to live in the world that exists within your book? Why or why not?

My Answers this week:

16130925

1. Same as last week!! I had just started Eden at the Edge of Midnight by John Kerry when I posted last Wednesday, and haven’t quite finished yet.

2. So that I’m not completely repeating myself, here’s something from page 134 instead of 34:
“You look shattered,” he said. “You should get an early night and some sleep.” He didn’t look much better himself.

3. The story is getting really interesting now, but I don’t think I would want to live there. Visit yes, just for the adventure of seeing someplace new, but I would not want to find myself stranded in this world like Sammy (the protagonist) does.

What are you reading Wednesday – 5/13/15

~ Erika K ~ Leave a comment

What are you reading Wednesday – 5/13/15

whatareyoureadingwed

What Are You Reading Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Its A Reading Thing. Be sure to stop by and visit them! To participate, just answer these three questions about what you are reading this Wednesday. If you have a blog, feel free to leave a link to your post, or just leave your answers in the comments below.

The Questions are:
1. What’s the name of your current read?

2. Go to page 34 in your book or 34% in your eBook and share one complete sentence.

3. Would you like to live in the world that exists within your book? Why or why not?

My Answers this week:
1. Eden at the Edge of Midnight by John Kerry
Eden at the Edge of Midnight

2. She’d seen nothing to indicate that there was life on this jungle planet, so she took a break at an outcrop of rocks that loosley resembled the Sydney Opera House.

3. That would depend….the story goes back and forth between modern day England and another world. England, yes. The other world, I don’t think so! 🙂

Review – The Dead Lands by Benjamin Percy

~ Erika K ~ 1 Comment

The Dead Lands
by Benjamin Percy
The Dead Lands

***NOTE: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Genre: Horror / SciFi / Fantasy
My Rating **** (4 of 5 stars)

The Dead Lands is at its core a story of survival in the face of apparently insurmountable obstacles – survival not just of a few individuals, but of humanity itself.

Synopsis From Goodreads:
In Benjamin Percy’s new thriller, a post-apocalyptic reimagining of the Lewis and Clark saga, a super flu and nuclear fallout have made a husk of the world we know. A few humans carry on, living in outposts such as the Sanctuary-the remains of St. Louis-a shielded community that owes its survival to its militant defense and fear-mongering leaders.  (read more)

The story starts out in Sanctuary, and then hops back and forth between there and the group of escapees who have set off in the hopes of discovering something better. Each member of the scouting party has his or her own personal reason for fleeing Sanctuary. For some, the struggle with their decision to leave causes them almost as much grief as the monsters, inhospitable climates, and other people they meet along the way.

This book had both the horror-road-trip feel of The Talisman, by Stephen King and Peter Straub, and the find-other-survivors-and-keep-the-human-race-going vibe of The Passage, by Justin Cronin. (Both of which I highly recommend if you have not already read them!) It was a suspenseful, thought-provoking tale and I really enjoyed it.

I do think that the way the story wrapped up, there might be a possibility of a little more Lewis and Clark (not to mention Gawea) in the future. I’m not sure that’s what the author was getting at, but I can hope….

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